Combined floor wiper and scourer apparatus



Dec. 23, 19 69 M. c. DAVIS COMBINED FLOOR WIPER AND SCOURER APPARATUS Filed April 22, 1968 FIG?) INVENTOR MACK C. DAVIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,484,888 Patented Dec. 23, 1969 U.S. Cl. -118 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A floor cleaning element comprises a rigid backing member and a pad of moisture absorbent material secured thereto.The rigid backing member may form part of the mop structure per se, that is, it may be attached to the elongated handle with the cleaning element being detachably secured thereto, or it may be permanently secured to the absorbent pad and detachably secured to the elongated handle. The elongated handle may, in that case, carry a separate support base for receiving the rigid backing member. The absorbent pad, which is preferably a sponge-like element, has secured to one side face thereof, preferably the front face, a layer of scouring material. The scouring material is preferably fabricated of a cohesive web of short stranded plastic filaments bonded together with an abrasive resinous binder. Preferably, the moisture absorbent pad has an enlarged thickness adjacent to the scouring pad to increase the overall surface of the scouring pad available for use. The moisture absorbent pad is used in the usual manner to mop floors and the like. The scouring pad is used, by tipping the cleaning element, as a stripping device for removing heel marks, stains and the like from the surface of the floor.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 576,127, filed Aug. 30, 1966.

Background of the invention The present invention provides a mop device which V includes a scouring element to permit relatively easy removal of materials such as wax and heel marks. Additionally, the mop device includes a moisture absorbent pad which may be used in the usual manner for light scrubbing. The mop is thus universal in application in that it may be used either as a scouring element or as a mopping element.

Summary of the invention A cleaning element is provided which comprises a layer of moisture absorbent material having a scouring pad secured to one side face thereof. The scouring pad preferably comprises a cohesive web of short stranded plastic filaments bonded together with an abrasive resinous binder. Fastening means are provided on the cleaning element for attachment to a conventional mop structure. The fastening means may take the form of nut-like elements secured to the pad of absorbent material or as a rigid backing member covering the entire upper surface of the moisture absorbent pad.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a mop of the squeeze-type with a mop head comprising a layer of sponge material with a layer of scouring material secured to the front face thereof forming one embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the mop of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view in perspective of the mop head utilized in the FIGURE 1 embodiment; and h FIGURE 4 is a view in perspective of a modified mop ead.

FIGURES 1 3 illustrate one embodiment of the present invention. The mop head construction 10 of the invention is secured to a relatively conventional mop structure 12. The mop structure 12 comprises a mop handle 14 which is secured to a support base 16. The mop head 10 is secured to the base 16 by means of screws 18. A squeeze plate 20 is hingedly fastened to the reverse edge of the support base 16. A spring (not shown) biases the plate 20 to the normal position illustrated. When it is desired to squeeze the moisture out of the mop head 10, the plate 20 is manually pivoted into contact with the mop head 10 for squeezing liquid therefrom as is conventional. A hand engageable handle 22 is hingedly secured to the plate 20 for this purpose.

The mop head 10 comprises a rectangular, rigid support element 24, to the underside of which is secured a layer of sponge material 26. The support element 24 may be fabricated of any suitable material, such as aluminum, plastic steel or wood. A threaded opening 28 is provided in each corner of the support element 24 to receive the screws 18 to secure the mop head to the support base 16 of the mop.

The sponge element 26 may be any conventional type, either natural or synthetic. Additionally, substitute absorbent pads may be used in place of the sponge. The sponge 26 is secured to the underside of the support element 24 by use of a suitable adhesive.

It will be noted that the forward portion 25 of the sponge element 26 is of increased thickness with respect to the rearward portion 32. A layer of scouring material 34 is secured to the front face 36 and substantially covers this face. The layer 34 is secured to the face 36 by use of a suitable adhesive.

The scouring layer 34 is fabricated of plastic fibers preferably secured together by means of an abrasive resinous binder. The plastic fibers are preferably short stranded members formed into a strong cohesive web. The plastic material is preferably nylon. This material is preferred over such conventional material such as steel wool or long stranded woven plastic scouring pads.

In use of the mop structure 12, the sponge element 26 is placed in direct contact with the surface to be cleaned and the mop is used in the conventional manner for cleaning. The mop structure may be used as a scouring element by tipping it so that the scouring layer 34 will contact the surface of a floor for the removal of material such as floor wax, stains, scuff marks and the like. The provision of the sponge element 26 behind the scouring layer 34 provides what may be termed a storage means for retaining a cleaning substance suchv as soap or detergent. The mop head 10 may first be dipped into a pail containing a water solution of a cleaning substance and then the scouring layer 34 applied to the floor. In addition to the applicability of the unit to the floor, the scouring layer 34 may also be applied to the usual baseboards provided at the juncture of the wall and floor. When so used, it is, of course, not necessary to tip the mop head.

Thickening of the forward portion 30 of the sponge element 26 has the desirable advantage of, in essence, increasing the surface area available of the securing layer 3 34. It will be additionally noted that the face 36 is curved convexly so that the scouring layer 34 is also curved. This curvature is of advantage in getting into corners and other difficult to reach places. It will also be noted that the scouring pad is positioned a slight distance away from the adjacent edge of the support Structure to avoid contact thereof with the surface being worked on.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modified mop head 38. The mop head 38 comprises a sponge element 40 having a generally rectangular cross-section. A layer of scouring material 42 is adhered to the front face of the sponge element 40 as previously described.

The sponge element 40 is not provided with a rigid support element which covers the entire top surface thereof as in the FIGURE 3 embodiment. As will be noted, screws 44 for mounting the mop head 38 onto the support base of a mop are received in threaded openings provided in a strip of rigid material 46 which is adhered to the sponge element 40.

A backing member 48 is adhered to the upper surface of the sponge element 40. The backing member 48 extends along the entire forward edge of the sponge element 40. The backing element 48 is of less width than the width of the top surface of the sponge element. The function of the backing element 48 is to prevent compression of the sponge element 40 when the mop head is used for scouring. As will be appreciated, pressure is applied to the scouring element 42 which would normally cause comression of the sponge element 40. This compression of the sponge element is undesirable from the standpoint that the metallic edge of the support base of the mop structure will contact the surface being scoured, thus causing scratches or other marring of the surface. The scouring pad is, of course, positioned a slight distance away from the adjacent edge of the base of the mop structure. In essence, the backing element 48 maintains the scouring layer in a position away from the support base of the mop structure. The backing element 48 may be fabricated of any number of materials, such as canvas, plastic or other non-abrasive material.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A floor cleaning apparatus comprising a cleaning element, a manually engageable elongated handle detachably secured to the cleaning element, said cleaning element comprising a rigid backing member, a block of moisture absorbent sponge material secured to the backing member, said pad of moisture absorbent material comprising an elongated member being generally rectangular in transverse cross-section and an upper surface which is secured to the rigid backing member, a bottom surface for cleaning contact with a floor, and an elongated front face, and a scouring pad comprising a cohesive web of short stranded plastic filaments bonded together with an abrasive resinous binder on and secured to at least the mid-portion of the front face of the block of moisture absorbent material, said cleaning element being manipulatable by the handle to one position where said bottom surface will contact a floor for mopping the floor and to another position where the scouring pad will contact a floor for scouring the floor.

2. A floor cleaning element comprising a rigid backing member for detachable securement to a manually engageable elongated handle, a block of moisture absorbent sponge material secured to the rigid backing member, said block of moisture absorbent material comprising an elongated member being generally rectangular in transverse cross-section and an upper surface which is secured to the rigid backing member, a bottom surface for cleaning contact with a floor, and an elongated front face, and a scouring pad secured to at least the mid-portion of the front face of the block of moisture absorbent material, said scouring pad comprising a cohesive web of short stranded plastic filaments bonded together with an abrasive resinous binder, said cleaning element being manipulatable by the handle to one position where said bottom surface will contact a floor for mopping the floor and to another position where the scouring pad will contact a floor for scouring the floor.

3. A floor cleaning element comprising a block of moisture absorbent sponge material, fastening means carried by said layer of moisture absorbent material for securement of-the cleaning element to a mop structure, said block of moisture absorbent material comprising an elongated member being generally rectangular in transverse cross-section having an upper surface to which said fastening means is secured a bottom surface for cleaning contact with a floor, and an elongated front face, and a scouring pad adhered to at least the mid-portion of the front face of the block of moisture absorbent material, said scouring pad comprising a cohesive web of short stranded plastic filaments bonded together with an abrasive resinous binder, said cleaning element being manipulatable by an attached handle of the mop structure to one position where said bottom surface will contact a floor for mopping the floor and to another position where Hie scouring pad will contact a floor for scouring the oor.

4. A cleaning element as defined in claim 3, and further characterized in that the block of moisture absorbent material has an enlarged thickness adjacent to the scouring pad and coextensive therewith.

5. A cleaning element as defined in claim 3, and further characterized in that the front face of the block of moisture absorbent material to which the scouring pad is secured has a convex curvature.

6. A cleaning element as defined in claim 3, and further characterized in the provision of a backing member on the upper surface of the block adjacent to the scouring pad and coextensive therewith, said backing member being fabricated of a non-abrasive material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,026,638 1/ 1936 Kingman.

2,941,225 6/1960 Paul 151 18 2,958,593 11/1960 Hoover et al.

3,008,163 11/1961 Bommer 15118 XR 3,050,761 8/1962 Morgan e 15223 XR 3,061,982 11/1962 Steinberg.

3,080,688 3/1963 Politzer 15118 3,355,844 12/1967 Abler et al 15118 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 1,487,987 5/1967 France.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

